Ectopic
by Twipotterfreak28
Summary: When you become pregnant, you envision a healthy baby sleeping in your arms. You don't see a baby small enough to fit in the palm of your hand: blind and underdeveloped. So when Hermione and Draco are forced to deliver at 21 weeks, there isn't much hope. "Her hand barely fits around my finger. She can wear my ring as a bracelet. Don't tell me everything is fine." HEA - I promise.
1. Prologue

_Why hello there. I know what some of you are thinking: Why is she posting a new story when 7 Reasons Why is on hold? Well, I found this a few days ago, proofed it, and then decided to post it. It's pre-written, so you'll get an update once a week. See you at the end._

_Disclaimer: Anything you may recognize probably isn't mine. J.K. Rowling owns the Harry Potter franchise, including its characters, places, magic anything, etc., but I do own this plot. Plot's mine, ya hear?_

**_Beta'ed by Sophia Lena Duchannes Riddle_**

**(Hermione pov)**

* * *

**_Prologue_**

_January 23, 2005 - 2:35 p.m._

* * *

I stared at her through the thick clear glass, my eyes again filling with tears. Her chest rises and falls, a sign that she's still alive, at least for another day.

When your daughter is given a 5 percent chance of survival, there's not too much hope you _can_ have.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to my nameless little girl, her small hand barely squeezing my finger in response. "I'm so sorry, baby."

"It's not your fault," Draco said from behind me, his hands firmly gripping the handles of my wheelchair. "These things happen; there was no way to prevent it."

I looked into his pale grey eyes and saw pain, fear and utter hopelessness. "But there _had_ to be. This wasn't supposed to happen." I choked out.

Instead of replying to me, he merely glanced at the tiny incubation unit and then fixed his eyes on the floor, as if he had already given up. I reluctantly pulled my hand out of the glass box and shut the case, staring intently at the baby as Draco wheeled me out of the NICU.

As he wheeled me beside the bed and helped me back into it, I couldn't help but feel as gloomy as Draco looked. None of this was supposed to happen. My innocent baby girl was supposed to be born 4 months from now, healthy, happy and into a world of love. But now... 19 weeks early, severe complications and a slim chance of survival. No, things weren't supposed to be this way.

That's when I hear it.

Doctors and nurses rushing toward the NICU, some of them shouting things like "code blue", "flatline", and "intibate".

My stomach lurched and my face paled as I tried to get up anbd run to the baby. Draco had to hold me down, telling me break my stitches and hurt myself.

I can't just sit here while my baby dies!

And just as I batted Draco's hands away and hauled myself into the wheelchair, I heard the most beautiful sentence in the world.

"We have a heartbeat."

* * *

**A/N:**_ I've always wanted to do a story about a premature baby. Tell me if I get some of the medical info wrong. I'm studying to become a neonatal nurse, but I am in no way an expert. The first chapter will be up in about an hour, tomorrow at the latest. Please, review. It always puts a smile on my face. -Nikki a.k.a.- Twipotterfreak28_


	2. Chapter 1

_Hey! So, we're backing up the story. It starts off in December, and we'll reach the prologue in about 3 chapters, yea? Read and review._

_Disclaimer: See the prologue. But if you still want to sue me: I own nothing but the plot._

**_Beta'ed by Sophia Lena Duchannes Riddle_**

**(Hermione pov)**

* * *

**_Chapter One - All I Want For Christmas_**

_December 24, 2004 - 10:37 p.m._

* * *

The sound of champagne glasses clinking together was heard around the burrow as we all stood around the Christmas tree, laughing and chatting away amongst ourselves. Draco, in his adorable Santa hat, held me to his side, whispering words of comfort and joy while I stared at the rings on both our hands. I smiled as he kissed a spot below my ear, and turned me to kiss me on the lips.

"Oi! Don't hog the mistletoe!" George laughed, pouring himself another firewhiskey and smiling as he stared at us.

"Come on love, let's go sit down. I know your feet must hurt." He smiled at me, nuzzling my nose with his.

"I think that's a good idea." I replied, but just as I was turning away he pulled me back and knelt in front of me.

"One last thing," He smiled as he put his hands on either side of the bulge on my stomach. "Blaise, you mind?"

Blaise came over with a camera and pointed it at us. Draco kissed my stomach, closing his eyes, making me smile even wider.

"Smile!"

Draco laughed as the camera flashed, standing up again and picking me up bridal style. I laughed this time as he carried me over to the couch and set me in his lap, his right hand on my stomach and his left intertwined with my left hand. He simply smiled and held me, giving me time to survey the room. Ron was talking to some girl in a corner, Harry and Ginny were underneath the mistletoe, Blaise and Pansy were laughing and kissing, Neville and Luna were sitting by the fire together, and the rest of them walked around talking, drinks in hand, while I idly sipped my apple cider.

"Merlin, you're beautiful." Draco suddenly whispered to me.

"Yeah? Better take a good look, because pretty soon I'll be the size of a house." I laughed, taking my hands and putting them on his shoulders while I turned around.

"I don't care if you're the size of Hogwarts. You'll be just as beautiful then as you are now, _Mrs. Malfoy_." He said seriously.

Mrs. Malfoy... _Love_ the new name, by the way.

"You're too good to me, Mr. Malfoy." I leaned in to place a soft kiss on his lips, but before we knew it, people were whistling around us as we really started kissing.

"Bloody hell!"

Draco and I were pulled out of our trance by a yell that rang across the house. All you could hear was the faint Christmas music in the background while everyone stared at Harry and Ginny.

"Are you serious?" Harry said to Ginny.

"A-Are you mad?" Ginny said sheepishly, looking away from her husband. Harry quickly pulled her chin up and looked into her eyes.

"Mad? I could _never_ be mad!" He said firmly, then picking her up and swinging her around. "I'm gonna be a dad! Ginny, we're having a baby!"

"Well Potter, that is the general idea of pregnancy." Draco smirked from beside me.

"Not even Malfoy's snide comments can ruin this!" Harry laughed, smiling, making all of us join in. He finally put Ginny down and kissed her passionately.

"Hands off my sister, Potter!" Ron yelled, finally catching up to what was happening.

"We're married, git!" Ginny came up for airlong enough to give Ron a very... interesting hand gesture.

My insides suddenly felt warm and fuzzy. Having Ginny being pregnant at the same time as me, her being two months and me being four, our kids would grow up together, maybe become best friends. Tears fell from my eyes and streamed down my cheeks at the thought.

"You okay, 'Mione?" Draco said, rubbing my back.

"Yeah, yeah," I murmured, smiling at him and wiping my tears. "Just... everything's going to change, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." It wasn't Draco who said that. Ginny came up behind me and sat on the couch, Harry in tow.

"Merlin, we're going to be parents." Harry mumbled.

_"We're gonna be parents!"_ Ginny and I screamed, jumping off of the couch and grabbing each other's arms. We smiled and jumped around and...

I was getting dizzy.

After another hour or so, everyone was either completely hammered or falling asleep. We all said our goodbyes and trudged out of the house into the thick snow, some of holding hands with our partners, others walking down the street, no specific destination in mind.

Draco held my hand as we walked to the end of the wards, and then tightly wove his arms around my hips and apparated us back into Malfoy Manor, more specifically, the room we kept empty for the baby.

"Draco! When did you-"

"Merry Christmas, love."

Breathing was definitely out of the question at that point. I stood there, crying happy tears while I stared at the room. The room that was light brown yesterday.

It was now pink with a cherry blossom tree painted onto the far wall. Besides the new paint, only one thing stood in the room. And that was a small box in the middle of floor.

"What is it?" I managed to choke out.

He kissed my cheek, picked up the box and put it in my hands.

"Open it." He whispered, suddenly looking very nervous.

All I could do was nod. With shaking hands, I took the lid off the box, almost dropping it as I saw what was inside. Reaching my hand inside, I picked up the tiny pink onesie, with 'princess' written on it, and pressed it to my chest.

It was the one I had spotted last week, after the healer told us we were having a girl. Draco had been so surprised, saying he was the first Malfoy to marry a muggle-born, and have a daughter. We left the hospital and, on our way home, I told Draco it was the cutest thing I had ever seen.

I looked up at Draco, who was nervously playing with hands. I tried to talk, but he beat me to it.

"Blaise painted the room," He started. "Did you know he could paint? I didn't. But we can change it if you want! I mean, I figured every girl likes pink-"

"Draco-"

"-and our daughter would be no exception, right? But we can easily paint it a different color! I figured you wouldn't want any furniture. Ginny told me not to buy any because she's-"

"Draco, stop-"

"-throwing you a baby shower. _Oh shoot!_ I wasn't supposed to tell you! I'm sorry 'Mione, I ruined the surprise for you. But this is just making me so nervous, you know? I don't know how to raise a girl and I just want the best for her, and I want her to grow up loved-"

"DRACO!"

"Do you like it?"

He looked at me with fear in his eyes, but before he could continue, I threw my arms around him and put my lips on his.

He was momentarily caught off guard, his arms still at his side, but he soon wrapped his arms around us and pulled us to the floor. "I guess that's a yes?" I laughed and hiked my left leg over him, straddling his hips, only pulling back when he made to take my shirt off.

"So what do you want for Christmas?" I whispered, wriggling my eyebrows.

"You're already given me everything," He replied, patting my stomach. "But there is something on my list I want."

"And what's that?"

He laughed and pulled me closer. "I can show you better than I can tell you."

"I bet you can." I whispered, smiling as he took off my blouse. He began kissing my neck, right behind my ear, and just when his shirt was on the floor-

_RING RING RING!_

"For the love of-" Draco grumbled, taking his lips off my neck and pulling his phone out of his pocket, answering coldly. "What?"

I shook my head and stood up, making sure to take the onesie with me, and smiled down at my husband. I had already expected him to get called into work tonight, seeing as there were many, many drunk people out doing things they shouldn't be doing. He swore another time and slammed his phone shut, groaning and picking up his shirt.

"It's an emergency at-"

"The hospital, I know." I interrupted, smiling say we'd know it was okay.

"Are you mad?" He said with a guilty look.

"No," I replied, buttoning my blouse. "You're a healer; I knew this could happen when I married you. It's okay."

"You sure?" He asked one more time, and smiled at my nod. "You're amazing, 'Mione. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"I love you." I said, kissing him as he tucked in his shirt and left the room.

"Love you too!" He called.

I sighed and picked up my shoes, leaving the onesie in the room in the corner. I turned out the light and walked downstairs, throwing my shoes in my room and heading toward the fridge. I had a craving for peanut butter strawberries lately, and Draco always made sure I had some.

I put some on a plate, next to a big dollop of peanut butter, grabbed a water bottle and headed into the living room. I idly rubbed my stomach while I watched TV, eating a strawberry every now and then.

I turned it off and looked around the room, internally cursing Draco's job and the idiot who hurt himself tonight. The clock made a ringing sound just then, signifying it was midnight.

"Cheers," I said, looking down at my stomach, raising my water bottle and tapping it against my side. _"Merry Christmas."_

* * *

**A/N:** _Poor Hermione, all alone on Christmas Eve. But hey, Draco's a healer, so he gets called in sometimes. Don't worry; she's got the baby to keep her company. ;) Anyway the next update will be sometime this week. Maybe tomorrow, if you're lucky. I'd love to know who's on board with me for this one, so please review. __See you later. -Nikki a.k.a.- Twipotterfreak28_


	3. Chapter 2

_Hola. Been a while... I'll just get on with it._

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, yada yada, sue me if you want... you won't get far with this bad boy in every chapter._

**(Hermione pov)**

* * *

**_Chapter Two - Something Small_**

_January 21, 2005 - 5:17 a.m._

* * *

"Draco," I moaned, pushing him gently where he lay in the bed beside me. "Draco."

I bit down on my knuckles as tears started flowing from my eyes, my voice cracking as I tried not to scream.

"Draco!" I said louder, my hands clutching my stomach. "Draco, please! Wake up!"

"Huh?" He mumbled groggily, turning over and looking at me with one eye open. "Hermione?"

"We have to go to the hospital," I gritted out through clenched teeth, snapping my eyes shut. "Now."

"What?" Draco jumped up and ran across the room, flipping on the lights and trying to throw on a pair of pants. "Hermione, talk to me!" Draco quickly threw on a shirt and took the bed covers off of me, grabbing my hand.

"Something is wrong!" I yelled at him, wiping the beads of sweat from my forehead. "I don't know- ow! Damn it!"

Draco nodded and helped me out of the bed, slipping my coat around my shoulders on the way up. I tried my hardest to get to the fireplace so we could floo to St. Mungo's, but my knees suddenly gave out on my and I ended up clutching my stomach on the floor, crying out in pain.

"Hermione!" Draco knelt down and cradled my face, trying to get me to focus on him. "I'm going to get you some help, alright? Hermione?"

The last thing I was was Draco's worried expression, before I slumped over and darkness consumed me.

Sometime later- I did not know how much time had passed- I became aware of sounds and faint lights. I was also aware that I was being moved somewhere and that there were numerous hands on various places of my body. I found the strength to turn my head, my right cheek touching the fabric of whatever I was laying on.

"Mrs. Malfoy, can you hear me?" Someone asked. I turned my head the other way, trying to answer. Pain after pain crashed through ym stomach, causing my fingers to dig into the hands that were holding mine. "Someone get me an ultrasound."

"Hermione, can you open your eyes? Can you squeeze my hand?" A female voice called out, just as someone patted my hand.

I opened my mouth and tried to form coherent sentences. "M-my b...ba'y" I tried, the words coming out half formed.

"Ultrasound's here!" I heard a shout. More frantic movements raged around me, something cool being spread onto my stomach and a piece of plastic moving over it.

It then a small, faint heartbeat filled the room and a door slammed into a wall.

"_HERMIONE!_" Draco yelled from somewhere. "Get your hands off of me! Hermione!"

"Draco," I croaked, moving my head towards the direction of his voice.

"You have to leave, Dr. Malfoy!" I heard Draco call my name a few more times before footsteps faded off into the hallway and I could not hear him anymore. A needle was shoved into my hand and a mask was put over my face.

"Ectopic pregnancy," Someone finally said, taking the plastic thing off of my stomach. "We'll have to go in and remove the fetus."

"Why wasn't it caught before? Is there any chance of survival?" I could feel myself being moved somewhere as the people talked around me. I then heard the ding of an elevator.

"We won't know until we go in," A male said, just as the doors started to close. "But for now... no."

I could almost feel my heart stop at that. I started to drift off farther into the realm of unconsciousness, a sense of dread the last thing I felt.

My baby was dying.

* * *

**(Draco pov)**

"Oh no..." I groaned, pacing up and down the waiting room for what had to have been 2 hours. "No no no no... this can't be happening... Oh Merlin, this can't be happening..."

The sun was beginning to rise, making red, orange, and yellow streak across the sky like blood and bile was painted on canvas in messy, uneven strokes. Panic and dread was surely evident in my facial expression, as well as the way I walked around the room. I was fairly certain the women sitting in the two seats to my left were a little unsettled by my display, but I really didn't care right now.

My wife was hurt and my baby was dying.

"Are you sure I can't get you-"

"Don't touch me!" I flinched back from the woman's attempt at touching my shoulder; she'd asked me if I wanted coffee three times. I did not want a damn cup of coffee.

"Sorry," She mumbled, slumping back into her chair.

I began to wonder what was happening to my wife. I was not an obstetrician, nor was I a gynecologist, so I had a very limited knowledge of pregnancy. Of course, I knew the basics and I was fully capable of delivering a child- but beyond that, I was clueless. I didn't know why Hermione had suddenly had terrible pains in her abdomen, I didn't know why she was sweating so badly, and I didn't know why she all but stopped breathing.

It killed me that I just didn't know.

She could be bleeding death. The placenta could have detached. She could be miscarrying or her heart could stop beating. And I wouldn't be there. I could never get to meet our daughter or see my wife again. I didn't know what I was supposed to do.

I had dealt with a case like this before. 2 years ago, a 6 month pregnant woman had come in, unresponsive and barely breathing. She'd had a massive heart attack and was going into premature labor, and her husband sat in the waiting room while I and several others worked on her. I cracked her chest and took one look at her heart- there was no way this woman was going to survive. Her aorta was in shreds, most likely from a defect that was present since birth. I tried to repair it, but there was simply nothing viable to work with- her heart stopped beating as soon as the other surgeon had taken the baby out of her. It was a miracle that baby had survived- he had celebrated his second birthday three weeks ago, a card being sent to the hospital every year.

I couldn't function if Hermione weren't there. I couldn't look at the little girl she and I created with being completely torn up inside every time I tried. I wouldn't be able to tell her about her mother- how she died and what she was like. I didn't have the capabilites.

"Draco."

I turned around to see Madriana Zabini, a 45 year old surgical nurse that had been working here since I was a preteen, standing behind me with a solemn look on her face.

"Maddy?" I said, barely keeping the emotion out of my voice. I'd known her since I was a child- she was Blaise's aunt- and she was like a second mother to me.

"Sweetie," She said softly, opening her arms. I practically flew into them, missing the comfort that my own mother used to give me. "I came to tell you-"

"Tell me what?" I pulled back, not bothering to wipe my tears. "Is she alright?"

"You will be able to see her in a few minutes," She said calmly, putting bother of her hands on my forearms. "Hermione is going to be fine."

"What about the baby?" I was afraid to ask.

"I don't know," Madriana shook her head and began to escort me out of the room. "Dr. Burkman will be with you in just a moment."

She walked away after giving me a small, reassuring smile. I stood in the hallway just outside the tiny waiting room, in the exact spot I had told a woman that her husband had died.

I immediately moved to the other side.

I wringed my hands together for a while before a man in a white coat walked over to me. I'd worked with him before but we had never actually spoken before this.

"Dr. Malfoy," He shook my hand before leading me down the hall. "Your wife came out of surgery just fine."

"And my child?" I asked, only to be met with a solemn experssion.

* * *

**(Hermione pov)**

I couldn't remember anything. I couldn't move or open my mouth, but I could hear just fine. My arms hurt and my head was pounding, the light in the room making it worse. There were people yelling quietly in the hallway, which magnified my headache ten times.

I opened my eyes and saw the familiar pattern of the hospital ceiling above me. I moved my head as far as I could and saw hospital blankets on my bottom half and two people standing outside the room. I closed my eyes again, willing the pain to go away, and listened to the voices outside.

"Dr. Malfoy, I think-" Someone started to say.

"I don't give a damn what you think!" Draco interrupted the man. "I want her fired and her license taken away!"

"She made a mistake," The man said again. "Everyone makes mistakes; you of all people should no that."

"That girl's _mistake_ caused more damage than necessary!" Draco seethed. "My wife could have died, do you understand that? If I hadn't brought here in time her insides would have been torn apart, because that girl chose to ignore something blatantly obvious in a bloody ultrasound!"

"We don't know that for sure," He said. "It could have just been missed. Pregnancies like this look completely normal from a certain point of view."

"Five ultrasounds and it was missed every time?" Draco asked angrily. "That is not missing something. I will have that girl's job by the time I'm done with her."

"I don't think that's really necessary."

"It is very necessary," Draco spat back, cracking open the door to the room. "My wife almost died and my daughter probably won't live to see the next week; we could have done something before we became too attached. I. Will. See. Her. Gone."

Anguish set in my heart as I opened my eyes and saw Draco closing the door, before walking over to me and grabbing my hand. He noticed I was awake and tried to give me a small smile. It didn't work.

"How much of that did you hear?" He asked quietly.

"The very last part," I croaked. My throat hurt from screaming.

"I'm sorry," Draco whispered, leaning in and kissing my forehead. "I'm so, so sorry."

The doctor Draco was presumably talking to opened the door and came in, a chart in his hands and a frown on his face.

"Mrs. Malfoy," He greeted me. "I'm afraid I have bad news."

* * *

**A/N:** _I know, I know. I didn't really tell you what was wrong... but google is very helpful! It's election day in America so I have nothing do today, and I will hopefully get a few of my stories updated. So... review? It helps me get things out faster. **-Nikki a.k.a.- Twipotterfreak28**_


	4. Chapter 3

_My hiatus? Over, I think._

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

**(Hermione pov)**

* * *

_**Chapter Three - A Not So Magic Number**_

_January 21, 2005 - 2:27 p.m._

* * *

"Stop it!" I screamed, trying to shake Draco's and the doctor's hands off of me. "Let go of me!

"Mrs Malfoy, you're going to hurt yourself!" The doctor insisted.

"Love, please," Draco begged.

"No! Get off of me! I have to see her!" I yelled. When they continued to try to drag me back into the bed, I reached up and slammed my elbow into the doctor's face, simultaneously pushing Draco aside. I waddled as fast as I could towards the door frame, mindful of my stomach which had been cut open not 6 hours before. Just as I made it to the doorframe, I felt Draco's arms snake around my waist and pull me up off the ground. He carried me back to the bed while I screamed and pounded on his back, and held my wrists down at my sides when I was finally laying down again.

"You can't do anything, Hermione! It's done!" Draco said firmly.

"I can if you would just _let me go!_" I exclaimed, fighting his grip on my wrists. I could soon feel tears on my cheeks as I fought even harder. "Please! Please, just, let me go."

"I'm sorry," He said again, something I had heard 7 times in the past 10 minutes.

I screamed once again, but this time, it was not with resistance. It was a scream of pure, heart-wrenching agony that seemed to echo through the room. I gave in and relaxed against the bed, letting Draco hold me tight to his chest as I sobbed.

Five percent.

That was all the faith they had in my daughter. She probably wouldn't make it through the night, let alone an entire day. She was too small, they said. Too under-developed. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't eat, she couldn't open her eyes. It was just my breakable baby, brought into the world entirely too soon. What would happen? Was she dying right that moment? Would her heart give out before her lungs could develop?

They said that she'd grown in the wrong place, attatched on the outside of my uterus. No one knew how she got there; no one knew how it was possible. It was one of those medical mysteries. They said it was only a matter of time before an organ was ruptured and I bled to death, or before she didn't have enough air and I miscarried.

"Shh, love." Draco tried to calm me, stroking my hair.

I kept right on sobbing, clutching his arm for dear life as another agonized scream erupted from my chest.

My baby was going to die.

"I'll just... go." The doctor said awkwardly. He was holding his nose which had a steady flow of blood pouring out as he exited the room.

"Shh, Hermione," Draco tried again. I had gotten to the point where I couldn't breathe because sobs were getting in the way. "We'll... we'll be okay. We'll be okay."

We continued like this for the next two hours before they gave up and sedated me. My sobs and cries filling the room, his quiet reassurances that we would be alright.

The knowledge that my baby was somewhere, maybe taking her last breath.

* * *

I awoke 4 hours later with the covers up to my neck and Draco sitting in the chair beside me, snoring soundly.

"Dr-Draco," I said hoarsely. "Draco."

"Huh?" He shot up in his chair, a panicked look on his face. "Hermione? What is it?"

"Take me to see her," I could see him start to protest, so with everything in me, I said, "Please."

Draco wavered, undecided on what he sould do. "I... I'll ask the doctor and see what he says."

I nodded.

If it was the last thing I did, I was going to see my daughter today.

* * *

**A/N:** _I think I'm back. This chapter was small and didn't mean much, but it's a start. I'm trying. I'm still reeling from the events of the past year, so cut me a little bit of slack. I'm trying to get everything updated._

_How are we doing out there, kids?** -Nikki a.k.a.- Twipotterfreak28**_


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